


Sudden Changes

by Breakthrough



Category: Mahou Sensei Negima!
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Backstory, Character Study, Drama, F/F, Gen, Humour
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-01-13 11:11:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18467758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breakthrough/pseuds/Breakthrough
Summary: We all go through that time in our life when we have to leave behind our childhood and advance towards adulthood on a roller-coaster of hormones and voice cracking. Just how does a half demon hit puberty? The answer, not all that subtly.





	1. Stage One

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to finally make an AO3 account and bring my story here. Hopefully you will all enjoy some Setsuna backstory that Ken Akamatsu failed to give us.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all go through that time in our life when we have to leave behind our childhood and advance towards adulthood on a roller-coaster of hormones and voice cracking. Just how does a half demon hit puberty? The answer, not all that subtly.

Soft rustles shift the bed sheets, twisting and coiling as the body beneath fights to be set free, grumbled curses joining in when the task becomes too impossible.

With one last cry of frustration the plain sheets give in, splitting in half with a loud tear as nails jerk the fabric in different directions. The once trapped body stills, jagged breaths the only sound as their mind struggles to comprehend what just happened. Pale, long fingers shake as they move away from the ruined sheets, moving closer to anxious eyes.

They're the same pale digits she has always known. The only difference now is the small tremors present, stilling only as the fingers curl around the sheets.

  


**Stage One**

  


The first thing that entered Setsuna's mind when she drifted into consciousness was that her eyes were burning. They stung with a familiar pang of pain she related to a lack of sleep, her eyelids acting as sandpaper. With a clumsy roll she shifted to lay on her back, her arm automatically moving to cover her surprisingly sensitive eyes.

Stray raven strands spill onto her sharp feature, their teasing touches only adding to the dark-haired girl's uneasiness. Everything was putting her on edge. The sun's few beams, which managed to penetrate her blinds, were too bright, her hair was treading a trail of fire ants on her skin and her head was swimming with overwhelming noises and smells. She wished it would all just stop.

The abrupt flooding of crimson only registered when it became harder to breathe, pale limbs forcing themselves into a jerky jolt, specks of blood flying out to stain the already marred sheets.

"What?" Setsuna mumbled, her fingers trailing along her bottom lip, the lower flesh gaping with already drying blood around it. Stumbling onto her feet she rushed to the bathroom, fingers never leaving her mouth.

Blood, that was her first thought as she angled her head to the side, studying her face. A thick trail ran down the corner of her mouth, spots already dry as Setsuna peered closer at the bitten wound.

She curled her lip into a half-hearted sneer, eyes widening as they catch a quick flash of sharpened canines. Hesitantly she tugs her lip up gently, using her other hand to touch the tip, flinching at the unexpected sharpness.

"They were never this long or sharp before…"

Shaking her head slowly Setsuna backed away from the mirror, mentally reassuring herself that it was just a detail she overlooked before – the headache's severity the only reason behind why she managed to puncture her lip. It was just one of those days, except… she forgot about the torn sheets just two metres away, laying limply on her bed.

Unfortunately Setsuna's day wasn't getting any better as it progressed. When she went to lay out her uniform for the day she found it was shorter then she remembered, her skirt climbing dangerously up her thighs and shirt suddenly a midriff, thankfully Mana left a spare uniform in their room so she borrowed her shirt to avoid any embarrassment; the skirt a bit too large.

All minor set backs were soon forgotten as she continued her daily routine. However they came to light again after her practice swings, the shower and post teeth brushing alerting her to a new development.

Pale digits skim over the sealed flesh that is her lower lip; where there once was a gaping wound is now a neat thin line. Before she could explore further a round of excessive thuds brought her out of her thoughts.

"Setsuna!"

"Asuna don't you think you're being a bit-"

"I'm trying to get us to school on time brat."

"I'm sure Secchan has a reason for running late."

School! Black hair whipped behind the girl as she rushed around her room to get her shoes and sword, hopping towards her door where Asuna and Negi were still arguing behind.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't notice the time," she panted out, straightening from her bow once her left shoe was firmly placed on and her presence was noticed. Standing upright she found her hair falling over eyes, crossing her eyes she realizes that she forgot to tie it up. Oblivious to the lack of talking suddenly Setsuna quickly put her hair up into a low pony, not wishing to waste time on setting it in its correct position.

"You look… different. Have you been drinking your milk?'

"Huh?"

The dark haired girl tilted her head in question to her friend, opening her mouth to ask Asuna if she could rephrase her question but finding a different set of words taking their place, " Have you gotten shorter?"

Quickly after the words left her mouth Setsuna snapped her mouth shut, blood rushing to her ears when she realized what she said. She didn't mean to say that but the orange haired girl did seem to be shorter. In fact even Konoka who always stood taller than her was now tilting her head to peer at her.

Flailing her arms around Setsuna tried to save herself from Asuna's blank stare. "It just that you've always been a head taller than me but now we see eye to eye!" The silence continued awkwardly until Konoka giggled softly, breaking the tension and effectively taking some of the weight off Setsuna's shoulders.

"I think you're the one who grew Secchan," the girl said, an amused smile on her lips as she was forced to tilt her head to look at her childhood friend. "Yeah! It seems you've been eating those veggies!" Asuna chimed in, slapping Setsuna's back. The girl hardly shifted under the force. "See, eating your vegetables do help you grow," Asuna said smirking down at Negi, who huffed in return at the obvious jibe. Joining in with her friends Setsuna smiled sheepishly, "I guess I finally hit that growth spurt." With that the group made their way to school with only Asuna and Negi's banter filling the air.

Class 3-A was as vibrant as ever, perhaps even more so with graduation in only a few short weeks. Time has flown by since the return of Negi and his students from the magical world. Chao's last gift to Asuna was the chance to graduate with the rest of her class and to enjoy her youth before Negi and herself had to fully embrace their new roles in the magical world. No one but a select few knew about her disappearance but it didn't really matter now that she was back.

"Girls!" Negi screamed desperately, his new height achieved thanks to puberty hardly making any difference in his task of reining in his students. They only stilled when a high pitch whistle cut through their talking and grabbed their attention, courtesy of Class rep.

After smiling at Ayaka thankfully Negi turned to his students cheerfully, "Good morning everyone," waiting for the girls to finish their echo he continued on, " I know you all are very excited about the nearing of graduation but I think it's important that I also remind you that with graduation drawing closer so are the final exams." The class rippled with groans and protests, Asuna's own mumble, "Why didn't she return me to the time period after exams," leaving Negi to sweatdrop.

It took some time but eventually the girls calmed down and settled into a relatively calm lesson, starting up again once the bell for the end of the lesson chimed. Laughter and light teasing filtered through the room during the break, bodies moving between desks as they talked to friends. Setsuna was rubbing her temples when a shadow fell over her desk.

"I see that you've finally crossed the roommate agreement," Mana's eyebrow rising as she stared at her shirt presently on Setsuna, a smirk forming as the girl shuffled uneasily. "Sorry," wincing at her voice cracking," I needed clothes that fitted. I'm going through a pretty… late change," gesturing to her body awkwardly as her ears started to glow red.

Mana narrowed her eyes slightly at the last words, looking at Setsuna before subconsciously drifting her gaze to Eva who was already staring back. Nodding at her roommate the gunslinger walked away, waving off Setsuna second apology and simply responding that she'll add it to her tab.

"So the time has finally come… " The blond vampire murmured under her breath, eyes flashing with an unidentifiable emotion before returning back to its blank state, the dull orbs never leaving Setsuna's white knuckle grip on her desk.

When the last bell of the day was signalled Setsuna let out a relieved sigh. Her body was taunt and unnerved. She could feel eyes on her, burning holes into her back; she needed to get out the room. The day behind her desk taking its toll as her muscles twitch, seeking for release.

They continued to pull and tighten even when she was in Eva's villa and training had begun. Only loosening as Asuna and her moved to their own spot for sparring. Left. Right. Down. Thrust. The methodical movements bringing a grin as she sparred with Asuna. She felt the release she craved, the blood pumping freely as her muscles spurred her into action. Twist. Stab. It was almost if she could hear Asuna's heart. It would be just so easy to stop it. Thrust.

Then it all went silent. The voices that were shouting faster and harder quietened and the only heart she could hear were her own. Setsuna blinked her eyes, shaking her head to clear the fog that settled without her knowing. Everything was so soft and muted.

"Setsuna?"

"Um, Setsunaaa…"

Peering down to where the sound was coming from the dark haired girl was confused to see a flustered Asuna. Her orange hair was fanned out and lips parted as she took in deep breaths, cheeks painted faintly with pink. "I give up, you win," she chuckles, "I couldn't even see you at the end."

The haze was fully gone as Setsuna's mouth dropped open. She was straddling Asuna. She was on top of Asuna with her sword pointed at her heart. Processing the last thought specifically she jumped up, scrambling to help Asuna up and apologizing at the same time.

Rolling her eyes Asuna squeezed Setsuna's hand in reassurance, "I'm fine. I'll just count this as returning the favour from when I got power happy during the Mahora Martial arts tournament." Not fully satisfied Setsuna gripped Asuna's hand with both of her own, unconsciously lowering her voice into a husky tone as she spoke, "I really am sorry. I would never intentionally hurt you Asuna, ever."

Asuna Kagurazaka felt her cheeks go a flamed, the dark haired girl's gaze passionate as she tries to convey her deep regret for her actions. Before Asuna could stutter out her reply Kazumi and Haruna were shoving Setsuna away from her, their arms thrown over her shoulders, matching devious smirks on their faces.

"Well I must say Setsuna, you are one sly dog."

"Wha-"

"I always pegged you as one of those star-crossed lover types. Believing in fate and destiny, specifically towards Konoka."

"What are you-?"

"I believed that too Paru!" Kazumi looked to Haruna with a mock shocked expression, " but obviously along with this new growth spurt," both girls now staring appreciatively at Setsuna's sharper features and height, causing the girl at question to blush horribly under the perverted scrutiny. "Our little Setsuna has broadened her scope."

Setsuna covered her face out of horror, cursing the pair in her mind as she heard her ojou-sama and classmates laugh at her embarrassment. The previous haze that left returning slowly as embarrassment started to simmer into anger, muscles twitching sporadically.

At first the girls didn't notice as they were too caught up in their discussion at Setsuna's sudden transformation, all sharing their opinion of what they thought, a surprising amount offering that they did indeed think she has a certain aura about her now that made her attractive. Only Eva kept an apprehensive eye on the half demon, her shoulders were trembling.

"Better watch out for Asuna stealing your woman Konoka!'

The laughter was grating, each note drumming into her skull as Setsuna shook her head, recognizing what was happening. Her heart was pounding in the exact same rhythm that it was during her spar with Asuna, she was losing control, the red haze clouding her thoughts. She bit her tongue, hoping the pain would shock her back but it just tainted her mouth with blood. Her hands shook, tremors quaking each digit as her nails inched into length.

"Setsuna?" She couldn't hear the voices, only the roaring of the blood in her ears.

"Everyone back away slowly."

"What? Why? What's happening!"

"Just listen to me!"

Everyone stilled as Setsuna finally lifted her head up, dark bangs brushed to the side slowly as if the motion was foreign, revealing dark eyes with white rimming the iris. A smirk followed, eyes drifting to take in every person in the group, pausing on Konoka before moving again, absorbing all their faces.

"Now, now Eva-chan. That face isn't very becoming of a fine lady such as yourself," the half demon murmured huskily, enjoying the collective shudder it invoked. "I'm sorry if I worried you all but this one is rather stubborn about letting her true nature come out to play. I can assure you that in no way am I harming her, she's just having trouble adjusting to her demon half," a pale hand waving towards her body.

"So you're the demon crow inside of her? The part that gave her the white wings?" Konoka asked slowly, wary of the girl who looked so much like her Secchan yet wasn't. The girl smiled, " Yes. At a certain time in a demon's life they go through a transformation that takes them into adulthood, with adulthood coming more power and changes." Her smile dimmed, eyes finding Mana's, " however for half demon's the normally painless transition isn't the same. They have to struggle with their primal instincts and sudden adaptations," gesturing to her sharpened canines.

The group relaxed their stances, reaching the conclusion that this side of Setsuna just wanted to help her other half. "Oh and before I forget, I really am sorry Princess, I didn't expect to come out at such a time," the demon half smiled charmingly at Asuna, causing yet another round of flushed cheeks. Returning her focus back to Eva she schooled her features into a more serious expression, " I really hope you are willing to help her with this, she needs someone to teach her how to fight the urges."

The puppet master nodded her consent, their silent communication speaking more then the group would ever know. With that confirmed the demon waved politely before closing her eyes, leaving Setsuna to fall limply to the ground, unaware of what just transpired.


	2. Training with the devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all go through that time in our life when we have to leave behind our childhood and advance towards adulthood on a roller-coaster of hormones and voice cracking. Just how does a half demon hit puberty? The answer, not all that subtly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In regards to the time frame of when the story is set, it is after the New World Arc. However, I've changed things around a bit to make the story work better so don't expect Nagi just yet or Negi to be working on the magical world relations just yet – Asuna has come back to graduate with her class.

_Thoughts_

Setsuna winces as her muscles creak, exhaustion hitting her after hours in the resort under Eva's "training". She shudders at the memory of the dark puppet master's smile, the agony that soon came after it the reason why she was still making her way out of the newly formed crater.

"I see you have recovered," the blonde vampire comments, wandering back into the room, her expression one of boredom, never changing as she stares at the half demon crawling out of the still smoking crater. Setsuna mumbles a half-hearted yes, eyes watering from exertion when she finally reaches the top of the crater. Her pale hand moves to grab the loose marble but small fingers, curling around the wrist, stops its progress.

"Good. I think its time we got a little more serious in your training." The grip turns painful as the fingers tighten, the devilish glint in her eyes meeting terrified orbs.  


**Training with the devil**

  
When the dark haired girl limps into class she is met with sympathetic looks and soft smiles, trying to look reassuring but failing, seeing as how none of them aside from Negi and Asuna knew what Evangeline was capable of.

Speaking of the two, who seemingly could read minds without the use of Pactio cards now, they wandered towards her as if they heard their names. "So the desert or snowy mountains?" Asuna asks, shivering at her own recollection of the snowy mountains. "Both." Negi and Asuna wince in unison. "You shouldn't push yourself too much," the teenage teacher says, "remember we can help you if things become too unbearable."

The half demon just nods, smiling to show her appreciation at the gesture. Satisfied that his student wasn't going to pass out and was well enough Negi turned his attention to the rest of the class, who seemingly started another round of strip poker without him knowing. "Girls!" Allowing her head to fall down on her desk the dark haired girl turned to face the window, staring out at the World Tree through heavy eyes. "Puberty sucks…" Setsuna remarks quietly.

**Two weeks earlier**

"So you're telling me that I'm going through..." Hands go up into the air in a weak attempt to make sense of the situation, "demon puberty?" A heavy silence falls on the group as everyone stares at the other, not sure how to approach the situation with an obviously distraught Setsuna in the mix.

"It doesn't seem to be that bad Setsuna," the ever valiant Negi tries first, "your other half says that it will just be harder to control your more basic urges-" Setsuna holds her finger up to stop him, her other hand massaging her temples. "My other half?" She asks slowly, scanning the squirming forms of her friends, Asuna particularly who was flustered.

"She's a demon stud," Haruna quips helpfully, joined by Kazumi's hum of approval, clearly remembering her husky voice and dark lidded eyes. "My guess is that you're going to be controlling all of your basic urges," the reporter chimed in with a smirk. Setsuna rubbed her face, suddenly extremely exhausted. Ignoring the lecherous comments she asked, "How basic are we talking?'

"Primal blood lust." A collective gasp was taken in after Evangeline spoke, "That feeling you got while fighting Asuna? The urge to just stop Every. Beating. Heart in this Villa? That is what you will be fighting against." The half demon's face turned stoic, not betraying the war of emotions going on under the surface, going over the implications of what the vampire was saying.

"So I'm fighting to not become a monster," Setsuna replied dully, a bitter chuckle following. Pale fingers that were massaging her temples drift north as their owner shakily brushed through her hair. "I guess I couldn't choose both the sword and happiness huh?" Her laugh weak even to her own ears, eyes never leaving Evangeline's.

"Don't be stupid."

"Eva!" Asuna hissed, head twisting to face the smaller girl, face shocked and repulsed at the lack of sympathy – though really she didn't know why she was so surprised. "I didn't say you had no hope of reining in your urges," the blonde waving off Asuna's warning, "but I'm not shocked that you heard it like that with your melodramatic self. You just merely need to learn some self control, and I'm going to teach you how."

Setsuna knew she should feel relieved at the prospect of not having to leave her friends but the tone of Eva's reply…"What's in it for you?" Fangs shone in the light as they appeared casually within Evangeline's smirk, "all I request is that you give me your blood after each training session."

"Eva-" Negi started, stepping forward to intervene as he recalled his own experiences as a blood bank but was stopped by Setsuna's question, "why?" Dark eyes peered curiously at green, "I understand Negi because you thought drinking his blood would break your curse but my own is nothing but a mixture of a human and a crow demon," shame seeping into her voice as she goes on, "tainted blood seeing as how I was cursed with white wings."

"Yes, " Evangeline drawls out, "your white wings, they are rather unique aren't they?" With that Evangeline promptly twirled and walked towards the exit of the Villa, waving everyone away with a simple hand movement and a snarky, "Now you all can leave, I got what I wanted. Chachamaru, give Setsuna a training schedule."

Chachamaru bowed in apology for her mistress's rude dismissal, repeating the gesture but more politely, reminding everyone that there was school tomorrow and that they should be leaving anyway. Regaining their bearings the girls started to disperse, those aware of Eva's true powers stopping to pat Setsuna's shoulder as they left and the others commenting on how nothing was ever boring with their class.

Konoka and Asuna led Setsuna out of the Villa gently, the half demon still dazed on what exactly just happened. One minute she had Evangeline and the next thing she knew, the girl was gone. Coming out of her thoughts she became aware of the light chatting happening around her, observing her friends commenting about the day and their carefree smiles. She allowed a small smile of her own to form, nothing ever seems to faze them. I tell them I have wings, its cool. Add blood lust? We'll deal with it after we discuss what's for dinner tonight. Shaking her head slowly the girl lets loose a soft chuckle, speeding up her pace to join her friends, laughing louder when she's greeted with Asuna and Negi arguing over what Konoka should make.

The brunette looks over at her friend when she hears the familiar laugh and smiles, relieved that she was coming out her slump. "I'm making whatever Secchan wants for dinner tonight!" She declares, tucking her body into her close friend's side, taking her arm hostage. Asuna and Negi pout, knowing that they were beaten, the boy recovering from his dejection first to smile at his now taller friend who was blushing lightly under the attention.

"Fine but only this once since Setsuna had a rough day," Asuna said teasingly, hip checking the girl and messing Negi's hair much to both the two people's displeasure. In mid protest Setsuna stopped, her smile faltering as it suddenly hit her, the realization enough to cause her to stop walking altogether making Konoka nearly trip. "What's wrong Setsuna?" The boy asked, concerned at the amount of colour rapidly draining from his friend's face. "I just realized… I'm going to be training with Evangeline…"

The air around the group seemed to have suddenly chilled as they all shuddered at what the term 'training' meant when it involved the undying mage.

**Back to the present**

"Setsuna-san?"

At first everything was blurry, the form of whoever was calling her an undistinguishable mess but as she adjusted to being conscious the features became more defined. "Nodoka-san?" Setsuna murmured, her voice raspy from just waking and eyes half lidded as she peered at the girl next to her.

Nodoka blushed, lowering her head so her bangs fell over her face completely, "You fell asleep. The next teacher will be entering soon so I thought I should wake you." Feeling her own blush start to form Setsuna brushed her hair with her fingers trying to put any stray strands neatly away as she straightened up. "Thank you, I didn't mean to fall asleep but the training schedule takes some getting use to," the dark haired girl smiles to show her appreciation, aware of Konoka and Asuna's worried glances from the other rows.

Nodoka nods shyly, aware of what she meant, having seen Negi fall asleep while standing at the beginning of his own training. Once she felt Nodoka's gaze drift away Setsuna turned to look at the rest of her classmates, avoiding eye contact with the smirking Evangeline.

Things have gotten better since she started her training. She found herself waking up less in the middle of the night with her sheets torn and her new height and build that was a hindrance no longer effected her fighting style as much as she learned to use her new reach. Her fighting style the first thing she worked on after the abrupt change, her body shivering as she remembered Evangeline's delight in exploiting the new hole in her defence when she realized that the girl wasn't use to her taller form.

The newest development so far besides her blood lust and height was an increase in her senses. She put it down as crow demon ability as it was mostly her eyesight and smell that improved however not without its drawbacks. Her contacts couldn't hide her white eyes anymore as her eyes kept dilating without her command, making it necessary for their removal before she blinded herself with the constant shifting. The smells were also proving to be … distracting.

Everyone seemed to have their own unique scent; being in close quarters made mixing inevitable and it gave her a headache at the barrage of all the smells. She could identify Asuna, Konoka and Negi individually by now because they were always with her but the rest of her class was harder to distinguish at this point. Though she could identify Nodoka's slightly, the girl's scent unmistakable including a musky undertone of old, worn pages. Setsuna smiled at the thought; of course our bookworm would have books, so caught up in her thoughts she didn't see the purple haired girl turning to face her again or her name being called.

"Miss Sakurazaki?"

"Huh?" Setsuna oh so eloquently said, her gaze moving to the middle age man now standing in front of the class, his arms crossed above his bloated stomach. "If you are quite finished staring at your friend I think we should carry on with the lesson." The class erupted into laughter, catcalling and whistling following after, mortifying the girl as she slowly slid down her seat, giving a sheepish nod to gesture she was quite done.

Once everyone's attention was back on the teacher and Setsuna felt safe enough to crawl out from hiding nearly under her desk she silently pretended to take down notes, her mind screaming at why she always seems to find herself in these situations, especially of late. Unknowingly Setsuna scratched the back of her neck as she pondered this, a small red rash present on her normally unblemished skin, the hairs on her neck standing up.

"Come on Setsuna! Is that the best you got?" Evangeline taunted, her hand pulsing with magic as she stared down at the smoking form of her newest apprentice, her body covered in bruises and smudges of blood from the blow to her head. Setsuna growled, the white surrounding her eyes expanding until there was almost no brown, canines flashing as she snarls.

Evangeline sighs and flicks her wrist, capturing the struggling half demon in a web of invisible strings, tightening as Setsuna thrashes wildly trying to get to the vampire. "The whole point of this is to get you to start fighting without losing yourself. Rushing in gets people killed and right now I'm considering killing you myself," the undying mage says, mildly impressed when Setsuna ignores the blood seeping into her Hakama as the strings tighten further, cutting into her flesh and enraging the girl further. Seeing that there was no progress to be made today the vampire quickly chops the back of the dark haired girl's neck, causing her form to go limp.

"Chachamaru."

"Yes mistress?'

"Dump her into the hot springs again, it'll wake her up and clean her up in one go."

Bowing to show her acknowledgment first Chachamaru then silently moved to gather the half demon into her arms, carrying the girl without trouble towards the hot springs. The journey was done with an air of practice as the robot stripped the bleeding girl before throwing her unceremoniously into the water. When Setsuna broke to the surface gasping and obviously still alive she turned and walked away, ignoring the muttered curses and threats towards her mistress.


	3. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fun is just beginning.

_Thoughts_

Surfacing with harsh coughs and splutters, Setsuna struggled to stay afloat and cursed at the robot and her mistress. The matted raven locks clinging over eyes were not helping matters as her glaring became ineffective with her eyes half squinted and red due to the hair worming their way into them. "This isn't funny," the half demon muttered, mostly to herself, seeing as how Chachamaru had already exited the room with not so much of a glance in her direction. "Throwing people, no, unconscious people into the water and thinking they won't drown is absurd."

The dark haired girl moved to wash her body, continuing her silent brooding, once stripped and armed with soap and a cloth, taking care to tread lightly over her still open wounds. Setsuna winced as the cloth crossed over what was an especially tender cut on her arm; the skin was jagged from Eva's claw-like nails. Flexing her pale arm to see the extent of the damage she was relieved to see that it was only slightly sore now, the warm water easing most of her muscles aches and pains.

It was getting harder to ignore the pain after each session; the blonde dark mage seemed to make it her personal mission to inflict as much pain on her as possible without actually killing her. Her hand moved slowly to rest on the nape of her neck, unconsciously covering two faint dots, _or at least to leave enough blood in my body to drink afterwards._

Setsuna shook her head to clear her thoughts before dunking her head under the water when she felt it wasn't enough. Surfacing shortly after, she wiped away the water and raven strands from her face, the girl's mind still plagued as she mentally ran over the recent training session. _I've improved in the sense that it took longer than before to reach my boiling point_ , Setsuna summarized, frowning in thought, _however I still can't control my blood lust and as a result I was knocked out_. Touching her forehead gingerly, where her face met the floor, the girl flinched at the unexpected jolt of pain at the light touch, _again._

Sighing the dark haired girl lowered her hand, eyes unfocused as she considered the situation she was in. Her training was practically suicide and was only taking small; almost minute steps towards helping her. Her senses were getting stronger but at a great toll, distracting her from her studies and duties, a faint blush appearing on her normally pale cheeks as she recalls sniffing Asuna and Konoka once. They threw off her focus; the scents were setting off headaches or well, just putting her into awkward situations. It was frustrating and frightening all at the same time, she felt powerless at the lack of control she had over her body.

At the thought of having no control Setsuna's chest rumbled with a quiet growl, nails digging aggressively into her palm, drawing blood as she allowed her anger over the recent events to wash over her. Distracted by the dark loathing, she failed to see in the water the rash on her neck progressively deepening in colour, becoming an almost purple red and spreading further across her neck, disappearing as they neared her shoulder blades.

**Sacrifice**

Setsuna climbed out of the hot spring slowly, feet padding softly on the tiled floor as she made her way to the rack with a towel and robe draped over, most likely left by Chachamaru. Once dry and dressed the dark haired girl stopped to inspect her features in front of a fogged mirror, dark eyes meeting her gaze evenly. The left of her face held a blue hue, the bruise spread from her cheek to her forehead, probably caused when Evangeline slammed her face to the ground. _Not that I completely blame her since I was getting out of control at that point_ , tracing the light scabs forming from dry blood on her arms as she briefly pieced together what happened from her recollection, having not much to work from as her memory waivers when her demon half takes control.

The half demon smiled bitterly at that, mildly impressed to see that her canines could now be seen when she smiled normally. Deciding that she did enough admiring she turned and trekked out the door, walking into a dimly lit hallway. The path was familiar now after practicing for weeks in this specific dome with Evangeline, the room she was journeying to a fixed location.

She knocked firmly, her knuckles beating twice before falling down to her side as she waited with a rigid posture for the order to enter. When it eventually came she eased the door open silently and stepped into the room, hyper aware of the eyes on her and her surroundings. She wasn't letting down her guard until the last minute, having learned the hard way that Eva took her training very seriously. Thinking of the undying mage, she could smell her; the distinct scent of sulphur and rain dew, an odd combination. The sulphur chalked up to being unpleasant because she was evil and well the rain dew because she did have a rather hefty arsenal of ice spells.

Abruptly the dark haired girl stopped walking. Holding her breath quickly as the hairs on the back of her neck and arms rose in alarm, eyes darting around the room before narrowing in front of her where a single, almost invisible trap wire was present; the light of the fire briefly illuminating the wire, allowing for its presence to be announced quietly. Taking care in order to walk over the wire, the girl calmly stepped over the trap, faintly proud that she didn't fall for the set up.

"I'm disappointed that you didn't trip the wire Setsuna, I wanted to see mistress's new blades tested," Chachazero commented from her perch on the armrest of the velvet couch, a small child's teacup resting in her hand. Setsuna rolled her eyes at the doll, glad she didn't give the murder happy doll any satisfaction. So caught up in her small victory the dark haired girl failed to notice the second wire just a few short metres in front of the first, causing the girl to trigger it and unleash a volley of arrows from the walls. Reacting quickly the half demon jumped back, rolling out of the firing range, hissing as an arrow nicked her cheek as she flew back in a hurry.

"Impressive. I was so sure you were going to be impaled by those arrows," Evangeline drawled out, her small frame stretched lazily across the couch, smirking at Chachazero who clearly enjoyed the show, chirping her own comments of forgetting there was a second wire. Setsuna stood half bent with a hand clutching her shirt, fighting to keep her heart rate down and preventing any bouts of stupidity like say, getting angry and thinking she could take the blonde. "But I guess its all the training you have been doing that enabled you to dodge my newest toys," Setsuna sweat dropped at the word 'toys'.

Straightening from her half bent stance the half demon cautiously made her way towards the still smirking girl, wary of her surroundings. "Kneel," Eva commanded, her eyes losing their playfulness, becoming cold. Setsuna knelt in front of the couch, one knee pressing into the plush carpet and the other up as a resting place for her arm, her neck presented to the dark mage. The dark haired girl sensed Chachazero moving out of the room, catching a flash of green out of the corner of her eye before refocusing on the velvet couch, never wavering away from the intricate wood work of the frame even when Evangeline moved to sit upright. Pale fingers danced over her flesh, tracing previous marks. The half demon barely flinched when the fingers moved to grasp her chin and tilt her head, warm puffs of air now on her neck.

The bite came without warning, fangs sinking in quickly, the pain sharp as Setsuna tightened her grip on the plush carpet. Each tug of her blood renewed the strength of her grip and work of the muscles in her jaw, clenched shut to avoid any hissing or cursing. Time seemed to move slower but eventually it was over, the fangs leaving her neck with only small pinpricks of blood as the visible trace that they were there. Forced to look up by the vampire's tug, Setsuna stared blankly at the cold emerald orbs, her stoic mask giving nothing away. Evangeline's thumb ran over her cheek bone, pressing on the bruise to draw a twitch from the dark haired girl before brushing on the somewhat wet blood left from the arrow's nick. Falling back the smaller girl brought her thumb to her mouth, her eyes never leaving Setsuna's as she licked her thumb clean, a faint smirk present as the half demon failed to stay entirely composed, her body tense and eyes flashing white.

"Are we done?" Setsuna questioned stonily, her voice scratchy as if she hadn't used it in days. Receiving a simple wave the girl slowly made her way onto her feet, steadying herself for the light-headedness that was to come. "That will be all for today, tomorrow we will move onto the next part of your training," nodding to show she heard, Setsuna then moved to exit the room, bringing the sleeve of her robe to wipe away any blood left on her neck. Once the door was closed the girl allowed her exhaustion to show, slumping her form and wincing from the sudden pain making itself known in her body. Dragging her feet Setsuna made her way to her bedroom outside of Mahora, barely shutting the door before allowing her body to sink into the mattress.

_Ojou-sama and Asuna must be eating dinner right now with Negi-sensei and Chamo_ , Setsuna thought drowsily, a small smile on her lips at the image of Asuna stretching over to hit Negi or Chamo for something she deemed worthy of a beating. Yawning the girl's eyes closed, _what I would give to be eating Kono-chan's cooking right now._

* * *

"How many times do I have to tell you? Stop trying to steal my underwear!"

"Ah! Ane-san!"

Crash. "It's time to die vermin!"

"Have mercy!"

"How was your day Negi-kun?" Konoka asked sweetly, folding her apron and placing it to her side before sitting at the table to eat with the teenager. "It was rather uneventful. I got chased around the campus again by some girls and stopped the twins from bungee jumping off the world tree," the boy stated casually, eating his food and ignoring the chaos happening around him as Chamo flew passed his head and into the window with a disturbing thump. Konoka giggled at the admission, dishing her own bowl of rice as Asuna stormed pass with a bat, "still as popular as ever it seems."

"Actually things seem to be calming down ever since Setsuna has reached puberty," Negi joked, rubbing the back of his neck, "when she walks in the attention immediately shifts from me." The brunette felt her smile fade as she thought of her childhood friend who would normally be sitting next to her but was out training. "Secchan has gotten popular hasn't she?" She murmured, unknowingly turning her head to stare at the empty space next to her. As if sensing the need for a distraction Asuna plonked down next to Konoka in a huff, muttering darkly about a certain ermine before lighting up at the sight of food. Turning her attention to her ravenous friend Konoka smiled lightly, moving to dish up for the girl.

Once Asuna was served, the friends settled back into a jovial atmosphere, talking about their day in between bites and sharing stories, forgetting about the twitching mess that was Chamo in the corner of the room. "Man I don't know what we'll do without you Konoka," the orange haired girl beamed, rubbing her stomach contently. "A great dinner as always," Negi chimed in, picking up the dishes to help clear, "I'm sure Setsuna is missing your food." The room stilled as the boy realized his mistake, sending a panicked expression to Asuna who was too busy facepalming at his blunder. "I mean! I'm sure she'll appreciate your dinner more then ever tomorrow! When she comes home. Because she was away and missed you and your food."

Konoka laughed at her friends, grateful that they would go out of their way to cheer her up and try filling the void Setsuna left, "It's okay Negi-kun, I know what you meant," the girl smiled, quelling his anxiety. "It's just very different without her around," the smile now dimming. Asuna and Negi shared a sad smile before the taller girl wrapped her arm around the brunette's shoulders, giving her a comforting squeeze. " Like Negi said, Setsuna will be home tomorrow! Giving him a run for his money again," a playful wink occupying the statement. Laughing at the visual of Setsuna's signature blush and stuttering the group forgot about the previous tension, oblivious to Chamo's whimpers of pain asking for help.

* * *

When Setsuna woke up there was a sharp pain shooting all around her body, muscles creaking as they shifted to sit up. The dark haired girl groaned as she climbed to her feet, ready to take on the new day, the thought that she was returning home for the weekend her motivation. _I wonder if I should feel bad that I'm ecstatic at the fact that it's Negi-sensei's turn now_ , Setsuna pondered distractedly, throwing on her hakama and gi with some difficulty as her arms throbbed from the gashes she'd received yesterday. Staring at the gashes the dark haired girl decided she shouldn't feel bad since she paid her dues for the week; besides Negi willingly allowed Evangeline throw him around, Setsuna trained with the dark mage because it was her only option.

A crisp knock sounded on the door before Chachamaru poked her head around the corner, her face as expressionless as normal. "Mistress has told me to inform you that training today will be done in the garden today." The half demon nodded slowly, not sure if she liked the sound of the message. Not waiting to see if Setsuna had any questions the green haired robot disappeared, leaving the door half opened, her footsteps fading as Setsuna continued to stare at the door in confusion. Why was the venue changed? What did the girl have planned? The answers evaded the dark haired girl as she walked towards the garden, her body tensed at the prospect of a new form of torture. _Maybe she's going to teleport me to the desert again_ , Setsuna thought, _while attacking me_ , paling at the chance of survival.

Before she knew it the young woman had reached the 'garden', the term used loosely as it was more of a jungle in appearance with a clearing made in the middle for a small tea canopy. The trees stretched to the heavens with heavy, dark limbs covered by leaves of every shade and small animals took refuge under their cover, the braver ones risking a peek at the strange occupants in the middle of their home. The tea canopy housed Evangeline, the vampire sipping her cup, the blonde looking quite relaxed under the sunlight and surrounded by the exotic vegetation. In front two mats were placed on the ground, positioned a good few metres from the canopy's stairs and the path Setsuna was walking on.

"Get comfortable Setsuna, we will be here for quite some time," gesturing towards one of the mats with a flick of her wrist, her eyes glinting with something Setsuna couldn't fully identify but feared nonetheless. Lowering her body onto the mat, legs tucked underneath in the seiza position she often found herself in when meditating, Setsuna brought her head up to look at Evangeline silently. "You will be meditating today," the dark haired girl waited for the catch but it never came. "And?" She tempted, raising a disbelieving eyebrow at the dark mage, unable to see how this session would not end in her being hurt in some way.

"And that's it. I told you that training today will be different," Evangeline said, a smirk playing on her lips, "I'll just be enjoying my tea, taking a break from tossing you around. It gets tiring." Her sigh following the statement indicating just how tiresome she found it all, something that made Setsuna's eye twitch,I get tired of being tossed around. Noting that the girl was done with her and was now talking to Chachamaru, Setsuna resigned herself to her fate and focused on the task at hand. Breathing in deeply, then exhaling softly, allowing her eyes to close as she centered herself, unaware of Evangeline's eyes suddenly on her. Everything was dulling, becoming nothing but distant sounds and scents as Setsuna inhaled and exhaled, the light chattering of the animals fading into silence, fresh dew nothing but an afterthought. Inhale. Exhale. The air moved past Setsuna's lips in an invisible puff, her shoulders uncoiling as she drifted further into the meditative state.

Time passed peacefully as everything was silent.

Then blood sprayed out of Setsuna's mouth through an agonized scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thanks to DestinaLuna for the comments and love, it means the world to me.


	4. Dwelling on the past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip down memory lane.

_Thoughts_

**Memories**

When Setsuna opened her eyes the first thing she saw was darkness. It stretched out, painting everything in its grim colour, leaving Setsuna with a deep sense of loneliness, a loneliness she hadn't felt since she was young. Her body dangled in the air, spinning abruptly as a result of any movement. "This isn't right," the girl muttered, "whenever I meditate I always bring myself to the open garden in Kyoto. It's like -"

"This is someone else's mind?" A voice completed, seemingly magnified, a contrast to the silence before. The half demon spun wildly, seeking out the source of the voice, but was greeted only with the familiar growing darkness. "Who's there?" Setsuna growled out, fists clenching as she tried to stay calm, her mind running various scenarios of how to counter the unknown enemy. "You should know who I am Setsuna Sakurazaki," the voice had an almost teasing quality to it, "after all –"

"I'm you." Setsuna stumbled back, her head jerking violently as a body appeared in front of her, seemingly appearing out of thin air. Long canines gleamed through an amused grin, crimson eyes darkening as they took in the disoriented dark-haired girl. Setsuna shook her head as she took in the white hair, crimson eyes and sharp talons. "No," she whispered, her eyes now outright staring at the wings of the other girl, unfurling almost mockingly.

"You can't escape the truth any longer, it's time to sink or swim Setsuna."

**Dwelling in the past**

"No!" Setsuna howled, charging at her demon half, only to find her face smashed against a dirt road, with her arm twisted painfully behind her. "I'll never be you," she thrashed about, trying to pull free from the tight grasp, but buckled as a knee jabbed into the middle of her back, forcing her face further into the ground, "sometimes we don't get to make our own decisions, you of all people should know that." The demon ground her knee deeper into Setsuna's back, emphasizing her point, relishing in the feeble attempts to dislodge her weight. "We aren't all given the privilege of free choice, sometimes that choice is stripped away." Setsuna felt a sharp pain as her head jerked upwards, her lips pursed tightly in an effort not to give the demon the pleasure of hearing her scream. "And now I'm going to take yours away," Setsuna bit her tongue as talons slowly entered her scalp, drawing blood, "I'll force you to face your inner demons; the past that you have so desperately tried to forget. " With that said the demon released Setsuna, jumping back to avoid the back kick unleashed by the dark-haired girl, before disappearing, but not without a triumphant laugh.

Setsuna slammed her fists against the ground, her body shaking and features darkening as she came to terms with the situation. Everything was blurring together, the lines of reality and subconscious non-existent as the pain became all too real. "No wonder you wanted me to meditate Evangeline," she chuckled bitterly, slumping to the ground, her eyes finally dragging themselves from the dirt to realize that the darkness had been replaced with a forest and dirt road. The forest loomed ominously above her, trees twisted and bowed, bark darkened by a harsh winter and the foliage dampened, debris of leaves and branches scattered around. The dirt road carried on for what seemed like eternity, disappearing as the forest became denser. It was strange, everything held an eerie feeling, yet it was almost familiar, the patches of sky and chatter of small creatures part of a distant dream. Or past. Begrudgingly, Setsuna stood up, wincing as her back protested at the action. There was no use in lying around and feeling sorry for herself, the only way she was getting out of this nightmare was through facing her demons, those who dwelled in her body and in her past.

_How long have I been walking for?_ Setsuna wondered; odd strands of hair plastered against her neck and forehead, the running perspiration acting as glue. It couldn't have been more than an hour since the dark-haired girl had set foot on her journey down the dirt road but it felt like much longer. The road opened up into a wider path and the trees parted to let the sun beat down mercilessly on Setsuna's form, slowly draining the girl of her energy. Using the sleeve of her gi, she wiped the sweat away from her eyes, squinting in an effort to see further into the distance. There was a faint outline of a wall coming into view, _hopefully a sign of a village_. Setsuna, encouraged by the new sight, pushed her movements into a slow jog, closing the distance steadily.

With the wall in full view the dark-haired girl slowed until she was standing motionless in front of the intimidating wooden structure. The wall loomed as high as the trees surrounding it, the tops of each separate pillar -making up the wall- sharpened into spiked tips. Subconsciously Setsuna hugged her body, her knuckles whitening as she fisted the fabric of her gi. Every fibre in her body was screaming at her to listen to her instincts – which said that this place was dangerous and she should get away now. But another part of her was moving her feet forward, pulling her closer to the wall. Close enough that she soon found her hand resting against the structure, her fingers tracing the rough bark. Absorbed in her exploration, Setsuna missed the jutting shard of broken wood, her finger spilling blood as she snagged the tip across the splintered shard. "Shit!" The half demon hissed out, drawing her finger back, glaring at the offensive shard.

Setsuna's glare slowly slackened as her eyes dilated and became distant, her expression turning blank as she stared intently at the blood on the wall. Small beads of crimson crawling into the wood's cracks, staining the tawny colour a dark burgundy. All she could see and smell was the blood. Blood staining the wall, like before…

**Harsh gasps rang out in the night as a tiny body -a girl- hurled itself through a village, tripping and stumbling over roots and bumpy soil in her haste to escape. Her body, a scattered mess of cuts and bruises, pushed desperately to run faster. Blinded by the combination of exhaustion and the night's darkness, the girl found her body crashing towards the ground. Her face slid painfully across the rough soil and small rocks, small incisions created on her face. With shaky arms she pushed her body upright, but crashed back down, her body still shaking from exertion.**

**"She couldn't have gotten far!"**

**"Don't let her get away!"**

**The girl pushed again, with renewed vigour, her body scrambling up. A dozen larger bodies broke into the path, their faces hidden by the shadows. The flame torches shone menacingly, casting light only over the mob's sweeping black wings and the girl's retreating back and white hair. Jeers and taunts followed her as she ran, her body ducking and weaving as she turned abruptly into the foliage. The roots snapped under her feet and her breath came out faster, more ragged.**

**Suddenly the foliage ended and there was nowhere to go. The land was cleared of any vegetation and levelled to support the wooden wall the girl found in front of her shaking form. Driven by desperation the girl threw her body at the wall, using her hands to claw at the wood, trying to find a hold. The skin at her nails were ripped and blood stained the wood as she continued her fruitless climb, her hands slipping, causing her to crash back down as soon as she created any distance between her form and the floor. Tears and blood began to mix as the girl choked out a sob, her body unable to get up as she fell once again.**

**"This is the end of the line Hanyo," a deep voice boomed, their words met with a loud roar of approval. "You have caused enough trouble in this village, it's time you accepted your fate," the girl closed her eyes, curling her body into a tight ball as if to block out what was happening. The mob closed in on the girl, circling around her, trapping her.**

**"Mother"**

"Mother," Setsuna whimpered unintentionally, her eyes slowly returning to their clear-eyed gaze, the fallen tears drying on her cheeks. Drawing back her hand, noting that it was trembling, Setsuna focused on the blood. Wondering just what exactly she saw and why she called out for a woman she had no memories of. _Was the little girl supposed to be me? If so, why don't I have any memories of this place?_ Setsuna asked herself, her eyes moving over the wall, trying to will the answers to her questions from the structure. _In any case I won't get any answers from just standing here_. Decision made, Setsuna unfurled her wings – albeit hesitantly – and clenched her hands into fists to still the trembling. Then the dark-haired girl found her body crossing over the wall, her wings snapping downwards powerfully, carrying her body easily over the spikes and into the overgrown foliage.

As soon as her feet touched the floor Setsuna retracted her wings, not wanting them exposed any longer than she could get away with. Her new surroundings were once again strange, yet familiar. The upturned thick roots of the trees and overrun footpath reminded her of the pursuit she saw just moments ago. Gazing at the wall Setsuna thought, _this must have been the path the girl – I – took_. She then turned back to stare into the forest, _which means through this forest is the village. The village where I grew up yet have no memories of_. With a renewed sense of purpose, Setsuna pushed forward.

* * *

"It seems like Setsuna won't be coming to spend the day with us after all," Asuna murmured as she stared out the window of her dorm room, observing the sunset and all the students making their way back to their rooms. She was worried; the sword-wielding girl had never broken a promise to Konoka before. Even when she was exhausted from training with Evangeline, she would drag her body to Konoka and their room just to keep her promise of having dinner with them; which normally resulted in Konoka gently reprimanding her for pushing herself. Turning away from the window, Asuna turned her attention to said brunette, who Setsuna could never say no to. The girl was doing a good job of acting like she was unaffected by her protector's absence, cheerfully dishing up dinner for Negi and laughing.

However, now and again Asuna would see her eyes drifting away from Negi and towards the door, as if expecting the door to open at any moment. When the door remained closed the light in her eyes would dim faintly. Then her mask would be up again and she would look at the young boy with her usual sunny disposition. Asuna released the sigh she was holding; frustrated that she couldn't help her friend any other way, but to pretend that everything was fine. There was no need to add unnecessary sorrow; Setsuna's absence was most likely because Evangeline was just having fun torturing the girl. With that decided Asuna put on her own cheery expression and joined her friends for dinner, making sure to fill the night with small chatter and good-natured teasing.

* * *

The forest opened up into a large clearing, small houses scattered around the open space with fenced off areas where the cattle must have been housed. The houses were simple in design, much like everything else in the village. Tree stumps were placed in a circle around a rock formation, the ash inside suggesting that it was where the fire was lit each night. As Setsuna walked further into the village she saw a blacksmith stall, curved swords and clubs hanging on display behind the stall and other weapons resting on the counter. The food vendors were obvious with their stock also on show, with the produce on the counters or strung up for full display. The dark-haired girl avoided eye contact with the freshly gutted rabbit.

With her concentration on avoiding the rabbit's lifeless eyes, Setsuna failed to take notice of the doll on the floor. This led to the girl kicking the doll, sending the ragged form skirting across the ground, creating a small dust cloud in its wake. Bending down to investigate, what she had hit the girl took in the faded appearance of what must have been a young girl's doll. An eye was missing from the dirtied face and her straw hair was tangled into knots, the red dress of the doll torn as well. Setsuna stroked the stitch work that made up the doll's smile, her eyes glazing as she tried to place why the doll seemed so familiar.

**"Momma, why can't I play outside with the other kids?" Large red eyes peered up innocently in question, white locks -pure like snow- framing the girl's face. The mother looked down at her daughter with a pained smile, lips trembling as she forced them to stay upwards. "You are momma's little helper. If I didn't have you here, how would I get all these chores done before your father gets home?" The little girl pouted, her feet dragging patterns on the floor as she thought over what her mother said. She was torn between her duty of making her mom happy and wanting to go out and have fun like all the other children.**

**"But it's lonely with just you and me. Father hardly ever plays with me like you do."**

**A small whimper escaped her mother's lips, but she quickly covered it up with a strong hug, bringing her daughter close to her chest. "You are never alone when you have me baby girl, always remember that." The little girl wasn't really sure what her mother meant but she nodded, because that made her momma happy, and she liked it when her momma hugged her. She always felt warm and smelt like those flowers she found outside in their garden, the ones her mother added in their food to make it taste extra good.**

**A few days later the girl awoke to a surprise. Her mother came to wake her up like she normally did every morning; they washed up together before going out to the garden; however this time she came in holding a small doll in her hands. "I spent the last few days sewing you this, Setsuna. Now you don't have to feel lonely, because she will be your friend when I'm not around." The white-haired girl took the doll carefully out of her mother's hands, her smaller hand caressing the soft fabric of the doll's red dress and black button eyes.**

**"What are you going to name her?"**

**"Tomodachi"**

Setsuna hugged the doll close to her chest, a faint floral scent entering her nose as she buried her face into the ruined dress. "It's been a while Tomo," the dark-haired girl murmured, a watery smile tugging at her lips as she examined the doll as if seeing it for the first time. Looking up Setsuna searched her surroundings, if her doll was lying out here, then that meant the house she used to live in must be somewhere close by. Her grip on Tomodachi tightened as she thought about confronting her past. Everything was happening so fast, yesterday she had no memory of anything about her past, yet in a short period of time she found herself reliving her childhood in vivid detail. She was chased out, isolated from her clan, but most importantly she had a loving mother. Why would she forget about her mother? The only good thing in her entire childhood? _I only knew about the isolation because when the Shinmei-ryu school took me in, they told me they found me wounded and alone in the forest, near Kyoto._

Standing up, with her doll held firmly in her hand, Setsuna started forward. Various houses passing by as she walked through the village, searching for the house that would strike a chord within her. The half demon was losing hope of ever finding her home, when she finally spotted the house. It was the only house on the outskirts of the village, the house much smaller than all the others, almost isolated from the village. There was a small flower and vegetable garden at the side, the fence overrun with weeds as they battled to reach the vegetation. The wooden door was slightly open, the breeze causing the hinges to squeak as it moved back and forth slowly. Setsuna stopped just in front of the door, peering into the dark house, anxious of what she might find inside. As her hand reached out to push the door open, a soft voice met her ears, the voice singing a sweet lullaby. Subconsciously, Setsuna moved to follow the voice, her feet taking her through the dark house, as if she had travelled the path many times before. With her hand clenched around her doll and the other on the smooth wall, Setsuna crept through the house, using the voice and walls as a guide, unaware of the sudden change in time as outside the window, stars became scattered in the sky, shining, the sky darkening to a deep blue.

The voice became louder as Setsuna saw a faint light peeking through an open doorway. The words more distinctive as she crept closer, the light splashing across her face as she peered around the corner, curious to see the source of the gentle voice. She was met with a younger version of herself, serenely tucked into her bed, her eyes drooping as her mother stroked her hair and sang softly to her. The woman was dressed in a simple dress, but it did little to hide her beauty. She had pale skin with midnight locks that fell pass her shoulders in waves, her amber eyes staring down at her daughter with pure affection. Her nose was slender and her full lips were pulled into a soft smile as she continued to sing. Setsuna moved her hand away from the wall, pale digits coming to rest over her heart as it twinged with a deep pang of loss. Her mother was so close, she was in arm's reach, but she couldn't hold her or tell her how much she wished she could remember her. Tell her that she loved her, that she missed her, even if she couldn't remember.

However, the scene and song did not last long. The light started to fade, drawing the young Setsuna and her mother into darkness. The wall Setsuna had been using as a guide just moments ago was gone and the house lost its warmth. The dark-haired girl forced her body to stay calm and used her senses to search her surroundings. There were no sounds, when suddenly a loud crash rang out. Setsuna dropped to the floor, her arms instinctively covering her head as an explosion of glass showered over her head. The darkness was suddenly expelled as flaming arrows entered through the broken window; the passage Setsuna once found herself in was replaced with the dining room. The dining room was up in flames in seconds, the smoke suffocating and dense as hungry flames devoured everything in its path. The half demon struggled to crawl across the floor, eyes watering and throat dry as she searched for an exit.

"Momma!"

Setsuna whipped her head to the side, following the direction of the young half demon's voice. The white-haired girl screamed desperately, before coughing harshly, a sign that the smoke must have reached her room. "Momma where are you? Momma I'm scared!" _This is the night when I was chased out_ , Setsuna realized, an expression of horror painted across her face as she crawled towards her room. _Except they weren't intending to just have me exiled_ , a knot of dread starting to form in the pit of the dark-haired girl's stomach, _they were planning to **kill** me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The updates are going to be a bit slower after Chapter Five as I have started to work full-time and I'm still learning how to juggle my time a bit better. Here's hoping I learn how to adult fast!


	5. Inner Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn more about Setsuna and her past.

At first all Setsuna could hear was the rough breathing of her younger self and the twigs snapping under their feet as they sprinted forward. Next came the shouts of the villagers, their bellows following after them, piercing through the ringing in Setsuna's ears. She was shadowing her younger self, darting just behind the frightened child who was stumbling over logs and sliding through the forest to escape the villagers. Setsuna glanced back, trying to judge how much distance they have managed to put between the villagers when she heard a sharp shout and crack. She turned quickly, just catching a brief glimpse of her younger self falling before she lunged forward to see where she went, horrified to see her own body ragdolling down a slope before stopping as she hit a tree with a sickening crack.

Setsuna threw her body down the slope, sliding to meet the girl, caution to the wind. She gasped over the sight she was met with. Her younger form laid crumpled on the floor, shaking as she bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain and giving away her location. When she moved to pick herself up, a muffled groan escaped as she rolled onto her side. _I must have cracked or at least bruised my ribs when I fell down_ , Setsuna thought, eyes wide as she watched herself stand up, moving to carry on running. The girl didn't get much further. After bursting through the foliage and arriving in a clearing, she was quickly surrounded by the villagers, back against the perimeter wall. _This clearing, I remember now._

"Mother"

Almost as if summoned by the girl's whimper, a large, black blur shot through the air, landing in front of the curled up form of the girl. At a closer glance, the black mass surrounding the figure appeared to be wings, like those on the backs of the villagers. Slowly, the wings stretched out, revealing a scarred man. He was huge, standing at six foot five, his body littered with scars, puckered tissue all over his arms, chest and even his face. The corded muscle of his arms and shoulders prominent as he tensed up, the katana in his hand gleaming under the moonlight. What really drew Setsuna's attention however, were his eyes. They were blood red and glaring out at the villagers.

"You have finally arrived, Gou."

**Inner Demons**

The scarred man, known as Gou if the villager is to be believed, didn't reply. Instead, he slowly moved backwards, taking care to place himself between the villagers and Setsuna's past self, his katana pointedly raised towards the man who spoke. "Gou, we did what had to be done. The girl is trouble. She will doom us all," the villager who spoke was a tall man, handsome with his piercing blue eyes and dark, short hair brushed back, away from his face.

"I don't put much faith in old superstitions, Kazu."

The villagers started to push forward again, voices raised and teeth shining from the light of their torches, but quietened down when Kazu held up his hand. "The _law_ of the tribe is clear, Gou. We have tried to accommodate her, allowing you to let the human raise her in the outskirts of the village, but she cannot be ignored any longer. Our harvests are failing and we are losing more people each day. Your spawn and her curse must be cleansed from this land." Setsuna watched her father closely, how he kept sending worried glances to her younger self and the way his knuckles whitened around his katana.

"Exile us then. I will leave and take her with me, the tribe will never see or hear from us again."

"If only it was that simple, old friend."

The men stood still, eyes locked and hands steady on their hilts. Gou tried again, voice low, "Kazu, please. I want no trouble. Let me leave with her." For a fleeting moment, Setsuna thought that Kazu was going to give in, his eyes softening but all too soon it hardened again and his shoulders pushed back, straightening up further. "The tribe's law is final. Any born of white is an abomination and brings misfortune to the tribe. She must be offered to the ancestors so that all is righted." Gou must have seen something in Kazu's face because he did not argue further, instead in the blink of an eye, he dropped down and bundled Setsuna into his arms and took off, the leaves shooting off the ground and partially hiding his form as they followed him into the air.

Setsuna shot off after her father, straining to follow the blurred figure of the man, his wings carrying him with an ease of someone who has never had to hide who he is. All too soon they were not the only ones in the air, dodging trees. Men and women alike with spears and katanas flew at Gou while arrows were launched from the ground. Gou weaved through the trees, using the surroundings to dodge behind and catapult from when it became too difficult to solely fly through. The man seemed to know the forest like the back of his hand, instinctively turning and plunging without warning, catching his pursuers off-guard. A few were left behind, the tree canopy proving too difficult to navigate, forcing them to backout and find a new path. However, they were not without their own small victories. Gou was tiring, sweat stinging at his eyes and hair sticking at the nape of his neck. His grip on Setsuna was steady, the young girl curled against his chest, small hands clenching around his shirt, but he knew that it wasn't going to last much longer. He couldn't outrun them.

Setsuna let out a gasp as she saw her father start to dive, her younger self covered completely in his arms. Gou dove, spiralling towards the ground before abruptly pulling up and gliding parallel to the forest floor. He ducked and rolled, feet kicking off the ground and tree bases as he moved pass snarling tribesmen, cuts appearing on his arms and face as they nicked him with their katanas and arrows. Gou was completely on his feet now, wings pulled close to his body as he slid into the thick foliage. Setsuna had to follow in after him, losing him from her aerial view. He seemed to be frantically searching for something as he was running, head twisting around as he pushed through. Suddenly he halted his run, sliding to his knees in front of a dense thicket and started to dig, ignoring the thorns tearing into his hands. Young Setsuna stared up at her father in fear, looking around, waiting for the tribesmen to burst through the foliage at any given moment. However, they never came, even though their cries could be heard in the distance. Instead she found herself draped in her father's dirtied and torn haori and made to crawl under the thicket, hidden from view. Her father quickly covered the hole he dug and made sure to make it look as undisturbed as possible.

"Stay hidden, Setsuna. Do not leave unless I return for you or a day has passed, that will give you enough time to travel far enough to seek help."

"Papa, I'm scared…"

Gou's eyes soften and he reaches out through the thorns, ignoring the way they draw blood, and strokes his daughter's cheek gently. "I love you, with all my heart. I will never let anything harm you, this I promise you." A crack is heard nearby and Gou stands up. He gives Setsuna one last longing look before he starts to sprint again, taking care to make as much noise as he can as he rushes through the foliage. Setsuna's heart clenches painfully as she watches her younger self burrow into her father's haori and slide further back into the thicket, only the subtle shaking of the line of her shoulders showing that she is crying.

The yells and footsteps grow more and more distant until eventually all is quiet. Setsuna sits in front of the thicket, head back and staring blankly at the sky. Her younger self has fallen into a fitful sleep, nestled into her father's haori. _This is how it all happened._ It was strange, suddenly having all the answers of her past laid out bare. For the longest time she wanted to know more about her parents, where she came from, why she was abandoned and now that she knows, she isn't sure how to feel. It was all overwhelming. Her mother and father loved her, they were willing to die to protect her and -

The tears hit without warning. Setsuna buries her face into her arms and lets out a shudder. _I wish I had more time with them. I wish I got to learn more about my heritage._ A soft rustle alerts Setsuna to her past self awakening and she dries her tears with her sleeve and turns to face herself. The girl moves cautiously, head low and hand on her side, face scrunching in pain as she moves slowly forward to glance out of the thicket and check her surroundings. The sun's rays shine weakly through the above canopy, only partially lighting some of the foliage but letting both of them know that it is around midday. The young girl slinks back into hiding and curls up, face buried into her arms. Time passes slowly, neither of them moving as the day progresses. When the light has completely vanished and the owls start to call one another, that is when the girl makes her move. Digging as her father did, the girl crawls under the thicket, wincing as her ribs protest and her hair catches on the thorns but eventually she is free. She wraps the haori around herself, tying the bottom around her waist so it doesn't drag on the ground and starts to make her way through the forest again.

Setsuna is not sure how much time passes as she walks next to her younger self. The girl walking doggedly, arms wrapped around her stomach as it grumbles. Setsuna is starting to worry about her, she won't last much longer without food or water and her ribs are obviously starting to let their displeasure show as well based on the white knuckled grip the girl has on the haori and the sweat building on her brow. The gods must have heard her silent plea for help because soon they stumbled upon a campsite, the glow of the fire a welcoming sight. Setsuna was impressed by how quietly she moved, watching as the younger girl slid into the shadows and padded lightly towards the campsite. Whoever setup camp must have moved back into the forest to gather more firewood because the camp was empty, only the crackling of the fire greeted the girl.

Her younger self, convinced that she was alone in the camp, quickly moved towards the backpacks left near the fire. There were two large backpacks, far too large for a child to carry but more than comfortable for an adult, and they were well stocked with rations, survival kits and clothes. The girl sniffed at one of the canteens before drinking greedly from it, some water escaping to wet the front of her shirt in her haste. Once satisfied, she tucked the canteen into her waistband and opened one of the ration pouches. Moving closer to the fire, she looked inside and was met with dried pieces of meat, wrapped cheese, a small loaf of bread and dried fruit. The girl bit into the bread ravenously, alternating her bites between the bread and the dried meat. While chewing she continues to dig through the packs, looking for anything that would help. She pockets a small fruit knife and wraps some of the bandages and medicinal salves into one of the shirts and ties it into a makeshift pouch. Before she could dig any further she heard a soft voice drawing near and in a flash she was under one of the bushes, heart pounding.

"Sensei, I found more kindling for the fire! This should be enough for the rest of the evening." A young woman exited the trees, in her arms a bundle of kindling. Her long black hair was tied back in a low ponytail with a piece of cloth and her face was framed by a short fringe and bangs. She looked familiar, but Setsuna was having trouble placing a name to her face.

"Thank you Motoko-san, I wouldn't want our new guest to freeze during the night."

Setsuna and her younger self startled, both turning to face the voice that suddenly appeared behind them. Standing there with a gentle smile was Eishun Konoe. Setsuna gaped at the man, looking far younger than she was accustomed to. His hair was longer and the crow feet by his eyes barely noticeable. His clothes were similar to those he wore during his Ala Rubra days, a simple pants and black turtleneck. While Setsuna was distracted by looking over her sensei, her younger self wasted no time in backing away and drawing the fruit knife. Eyes wide as they flicked between the two strangers, mind trying to come up with an escape route.

Eishun continued forward, seemingly unphased by the girl, in his hands were three rabbits freshly hunted. Motoko seemed to follow his example because she too, ignored Setsuna and moved to put more kindling into the fire and stroke the flames. At this point, the young girl was confused and unsure what to make of the strangers, their lack of animosity just as worrying as animosity in itself. "Would you like to join us for dinner? I'm sure fresh meat would do you more good than the rations you took," Eishun said as he moved to clean the rabbits, prepping them to be cooked over the open fire.

"I'm glad she went into your backpack and not mine, I was looking forward to that cheese." Motoko commented lightly, eyes never leaving the fire. Setsuna watched her younger self struggle to make a decision, her eyes looking towards the forest and back to the fire. She was hungry and they seemed non-threatening but could she trust them? Eishun seemed to have picked up on her inner turmoil and spoke again, "You don't have to give back the knife or the medicine. You are free to keep everything you took and be off once you have had some food. I just can't in good conscious allow a young girl like yourself to go hungry." Something about his words made the girl lower her guard slightly, he seemed sincere and he had many chances to disarm and take back what she had stolen. Maybe he was different. Cautiously she approached the fire, getting close enough to feel its warmth but still far enough that she could make a break into the forest if anything went wrong. Setsuna sighed out in relief.

"My name is Eishun Konoe and this is my student, Motoko Aoyama." Eishun smiled again after his introductions, his hands moving to put the cleaned rabbits over the fire. _Motoko Aoyama. One of my instructors, I remember now. She was generally out on missions but she would take training now and again when she could when I was first learning._ Motoko looked up from the fire to smile at the girl, never giving away her curiosity. An awkward silence settled over the camp as Eishun tried to make conversation while turning over the rabbits and Motoko worked silently to set up the bedrolls and repack the backpacks that she dug through. Setsuna sat next to her younger self and observed how Eishun treated her. Once the rabbits were done he offered her one first, making sure to keep a good distance from her as he handed it over and keeping his body language open and kind.

After seeing Motoko and Eishun bite into and swallow pieces of their rabbit, Setsuna was quick to follow, tearing into her food. She finished her food before the others and instead of running away, she stayed, watching the others with open curiosity. "Why are you here?" It was the first time she spoke and Motoko looked surprised at her soft voice. "Well, I had business to sort out in this area for my father-in-law. There were reports of heightened demon activity and I was sent to find out what caused it. It's rare for the crow tribe to leave their borders." At his words, Setsuna saw herself fold, clutching her stomach and head bowed to hide her face. "Did you… did you see them?"

Eishun seemed to carefully consider his words before he spoke, "There seemed to be an internal dispute amongst the tribe members. They were looking for someone who had crossed over from their territory, they were considered dangerous." The girl started to subtly shake, she wanted to get up, run, but she was fixed in place. She barely flinched when Eishun crouched in front of her, his hands out in front of him, "You know, I have a daughter about your age. I'm sure she would love to have a friend to play with. Why don't you join Motoko-san and I on our way home? This forest is no place for a young girl." The girl looked up, face shining with tears, "I'm dangerous."

A dark expression briefly falls over Eishun's face before it is replaced with a look of compassion, "I can promise you that If I thought you dangerous, I would not let you near my daughter. All I see in front of me is a young, scared girl who deserves a chance at a new life." The girl stares into Eishun's eyes, searching for something and after a moment, having seemingly found what she was looking for, says, "Setsuna. My name is Setsuna Sakurazaki."

Eishun smiles, "Hello Setsuna, are you ready to go home?"

* * *

"Should we contact Negi-sensei, Master?"

"Yes, might as well excuse Sakurazaki from class tomorrow. It doesn't look like she is going to wake up any time soon."

Chachamaru bows and moves to leave the room, her eyes glancing only briefly at Setsuna's prone form, splayed out over the mats of the room. They recently hooked her up to a machine to monitor her vitals, her heart rate steady for the most part aside from random spikes now and again. Chachazero has made herself comfortable on the machine, noting down changes with interest and occasionally flying to Evangeline to share something with her. Evangeline for the most part has remained unmoving from her seat, lounging back and eyes focused on Setsuna, only looking away when she moves to sip her tea and chat quietly with Chachazero.

It does not take long for Chachamaru to make her way across campus and to Negi, Asuna and Konoka's dorm room. Soon after the first knock the door is swung open, Asuna's grinning face meeting Chachamaru's. "Chachamaru- san! What brings you here?" Chachamaru politely bows in greeting and follows Asuna into the room as she ushers her none too gently in. "I am here to see Negi-sensei. Master has a message for him." Negi, having heard Chachamaru's voice and was already making his way down from his loft, meets her by the table, "Is there a training change?" Chachamaru shakes her head as she sits down opposite Negi, Asuna soon joining them with tea. "Master has requested that I tell you that Sakurazaki-san will be unable to attend class tomorrow. She is still in the middle of training with her and we are unsure when it shall end."

Negi frowns at her words and Asuna follows suit. "What do you mean you are unsure when the training will end? Is she stuck in one of the climate globes until she finishes a task?" Chachamaru shakes her head, "This is a different exercise, designed specifically for Sakurazaki-san. I am unsure what exactly is happening, only Master knows for sure, but I assure you she is safe." Negi and Asuna share an uneasy stare, not quite sure if they could trust Evangeline's definition of safe, even if it comes from Chachamaru. "Thank you for letting me know, Chachamaru-san. I'm sure Konoka will be pleased to hear that Setsuna is doing okay."

Silently, Asuna can't help but be thankful that Konoka wasn't around to hear the news. She has been putting on a brave face for all of them, but they can tell that Setsuna's absence is taking a toll on her. She even went to one of her grandfather's arranged marriage setups, seeking a distraction from her thoughts.

_Please return soon, Setsuna._

* * *

The small group break camp at first light, stamping out the fire and rolling up their bedrolls. Motoko noticed Setsuna's stiff movements in the night and wrapped her ribs in hopes of offering her some relief. She checks them again in the morning, rubbing more salve over the bruising and securing the bandages. They journey slowly, mindful of Setsuna's smaller legs and her cracked ribs, the girl too stubborn to allow herself to be carried. Thankfully they weren't too far off from the next village and they were soon able to acquire horses, Setsuna was made to ride in front of Motoko with wide eyes as she takes in all the new sights. Eishun and Motoko smile sadly at the girl as she is lost in wonder, thinking of how much she has been deprived.

It takes two days of travel but soon Setsuna has her breath stolen by the sight of the massive buildings around her, framed by Sakura trees. The cobblestone leading to the main house is white, a beautiful contrast to the pink sakura blossoms that fall upon them. Setsuna can't help but stop to pick one up, lost in the soft texture of the petals. Motoko nudges her forward, reminding her to keep walking with a small smile. Setsuna pads after her, hand gripping tightly at Motoko's pants, having grown attached to the woman in their brief journey. Setsuna shuffles impossibly closer when they enter the main hall and are greeted by a chorus of, "Welcome home, Chief" as row after row of people bow before Eishun who just smiles warmly, nodding and greeting everyone as he moves forward to stop in front of an elderly man who's long, white beard touches the floor.

"I see you have brought home a friend for Konoka-chan, Eishun-kun." Setsuna can't see the old man's face clearly through his beard and bushy eyebrows, but he doesn't sound angry. In fact, he almost sounds amused. Eishun kneels and Motoko joins in behind him, gently arranging Setsuna into the correct posture next to her. "Yes, Konoe-sama. This is Setsuna, I found her during my travels and I believe she will be an asset to us. She has shown a lot of spirit and I intend on taking her on as one of my students, if you will permit it." Konoemon Konoe lets out a loud laugh, "Well who am I to deny a friend to my grandchild. In fact she should -"

As if she was summoned, a young girl comes running from around the corner, a wide smile on her face, "Daddy!" Eishun moves to change his posture to a half-kneel, catching the girl easily with a similar smile and tight hug. "Konoka, shouldn't you be in a lesson right now?" The brown-haired girl pouts, large brown eyes staring up at her father with fake innocence, "I couldn't wait to see you. I had to come greet you now." Eishun shakes his head with a smile, "I suppose just this once is fine. I actually want you to meet someone." Konoka beams up at her father before focusing her smile onto Setsuna. The girl, unused to such excitement being shown to her, buries her face into Motoko's arm sleeve, embarrassed by all the attention.

"Konoka, this is Setsuna. She will be staying here with us from now on as one of my students. Setsuna, this is my daughter, Konoka."

"Nice to meet you, Setsuna-chan!" Konoka says, bowing clumsily. After a gentle prod from Motoko, Setsuna returns Konoka's bow with an equally clumsy one, her voice soft, "Nice to meet you, Ojou-sama." Konoka frowns a bit at the title but quickly recovers, moving to grab Setsuna's hand. "I'll show you around!" Setsuna sends a pleading look to Motoko and Eishun but they only chuckle and let Konoka drag her away. The sound of Konoka talking excitedly echoing down the hall well after they have left the room. It's comforting that she latched onto Setsuna so quickly.

Setsuna watches this all unfold with misty eyes and a small smile. She can never thank Eishun-san enough for all he has done for her. He gave her a home, a purpose and never asked for anything in return. He only ever asked her to watch over his daughter which she would have gladly done regardless. _He faced a lot of backlash for bringing me into his home and taking me as his student, yet he never once regretted it or made me feel unwelcome._

"Well isn't this sweet, reminiscing about the past."

Setsuna spun around at the sound of the voice, the world darkening as she spun until she was floating in darkness. "Show yourself, demon," Setsuna snarled, eyes narrowed and searching through the dark. "Demon is a bit on the nose don't you think? Considering the fact that I'm just your demon half really," the white-haired girl remarked, rising from the inky floor, crimson eyes staring intently back at Setsuna, white wings on full display. "Look, I don't know what game you are playing, but I am tired and I want answers. Why are you showing me all of this? Is the key to controlling you in my past?" Setsuna asks, face scrunched up in thought. Setsuna's white-haired counterpart releases a long sigh, exasperation in full display, "It's not about controlling me. It's about accepting who you are. You cling to your humanity, ignoring the fact that you are much more."

Setsuna looks away from her doppleganger, unable to keep her stare. "I didn't even remember who my parents were until now. I- I only had memories of Eishun-san saving me and bringing me to live with him. Nothing of before!" A slow smile forms on her doppleganger's face, "Now you are on the right track." Before Setsuna could ask what track that was, a taloned hand moves quickly, shoving her in the chest, and sends her careening downwards. Setsuna tries to right herself mid-air but she is falling too quickly and before she could release her wings, she hits the floor with a thud. All the air in her lungs leaves her with a pained exhale and her head rings from the hit. She slowly rolls to her side, wheezing, trying to take in her new surroundings.

"She is in pain, is there nothing we can do for her?"

"I'm sorry Eishun-sama, the episodes are linked to her nightmares, we can't help her unless we treat the nightmares themselves."

Eishun rubs at his face, glasses balanced on the top of his head. He looks tired, face drawn and eyes dark as he talks to the older woman in front of him. "We have to do something for her. She cries out every night for her parents and draws her own blood. The others are going to start to grow suspicious on how this little girl is able to rip through futons as if they were nothing." The woman bites her lip, hesitant to speak before she finally says, "We can always ask Konoe-sama to seal the unpleasant memories and make new ones, just until she is older and able to control her powers." Eishun looks distraught, "We couldn't possibly -"

His words were interrupted with a howl of pain, followed by his daughter's own scream. Eishun ran before his mind even fully processed what happened, his legs instinctively leading him towards his daughter, fear driving him. He slid in front of Setsuna's room, his feet almost carrying on forward but stopped by his iron grip on the doors. He pushes the door open, the screen giving way under his strength, "Konoka?!" His daughter looks up to him with wide eyes, tears falling steadily, "Secchan is in pain, dad! She won't stop crying and I can't wake her." Konoka was kneeling beside her friend, hands firmly clenched around her nightdress, and staring anxiously at Setsuna's arched body that was moving erratically under the covers. Setsuna's small body was shaking and pale, sweat dripping from her body and staining the sheets.

Eishun hugged Konoka to his chest, rubbing her back as she cried. "Don't worry, I'm going to help her. She's going to be okay, I promise." His eyes met the healer's and he nodded subtly, and she understood. She left the room, moving quickly to find Konoemon. Suddenly, Setsuna found herself in a new room. It was dimly lit by a dozen candles and her younger self sat in the middle of the room, painted sigils drying on her skin. Konoemon and Eishun stood in front of her. On the floor, there were intricate lines and runes drawn with chalk, Setsuna couldn't decipher the meaning but she knew magic circles when she saw them, familiar with Negi and Evangeline's. Eishun knelt in front of Setsuna, "We are going to help with your nightmares. You won't be afraid anymore." He smiles, but she can tell that it is weak, shaky on the sides, but her younger self does not notice. She nods, face serious and resolute.

The chanting slowly fades as the scenery changes yet again, this time she is a bit older, maybe nine years old and kneeling in front of Eishun alone. "Your training has been coming along nicely Setsuna-chan. I hear from all your instructors that you are a bright student and keeping on par with the older students." Setsuna smiles tentatively back at him, face flushed from his praise. "However, I am a bit worried. Konoka has told me that you have become more withdrawn, is something wrong?" Setsuna's smile disappears, her eyes dropping to the floor. "Nothing that you need to worry about Eishun-sama. I just want to focus on my studies more, that is all." Eishun sighs, remembering the river incident and how shaken Setsuna and Konoka were. "There was nothing you could have done Setsuna, the current was too strong. I'm glad that you are both safe, you are like a daughter to me." Setsuna keeps her eyes on the floor, hands bunched into her hakama. After a long pause she whispers, "If I were allowed to learn more about my powers maybe -"

"I'm sorry, Setsuna. I wish I were able to train you but it's too risky. We have a tentative peace with the crow tribe and if they knew you were here with us, I'm not sure what they would do. We have to keep your heritage a secret."

The room fades to a garden, where Konoka and Setsuna sit, gathering sakura blossoms. "Dad is away on business again this week but he said he will bring us presents when he returns," Konoka quips happily, content to sit next to her best friend and collect flowers. Setsuna, younger in this memory, turns to Konoka, "How come I never see your mom around, is she also away on business?" Konoka's smile dims but she doesn't allow it to fade completely, "my mom passed away when I was a baby. It's just dad and my grandfather." Setsuna reaches over to hold Konoka's hand, squeezing it gently, "I think my parents passed away too. I can't remember but Eishun-sama says my home is here now, with you." The memories start to flash faster, Setsuna only able to catch snippets of her sleepovers with Konoka, their skipping of classes and late nights in the garden, whispering secrets and hands clasped tightly together. She's disoriented when it finally slows down again.

"I don't know what Eishun-sama is thinking, allowing that half-breed around Ojou-sama."

"I saw her eyes glow red the other day during practice. It must be why Eishun-sama trains her personally, to get her demon side under control"

"If even her own tribe believed she was dangerous, how could we possibly trust her?"

Setsuna hid behind the wall, eyes burning as she listened in on the staff talking about her, the stolen cakes she got for Konoka and herself crumbling in her hands as she fights to stay calm. A door opens loudly and distracts the voices, and Setsuna uses the opportunity to sneak pass and run back to Konoka's room where she is waiting for Setsuna and the cakes. She wills herself not to cry, not to allow them to see her weak.

"I'm not a monster" Setsuna, both young and old, whisper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Six is halfway done, hopefully I will be able to update next week and keep my updates consistent.


	6. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setsuna receives some well earned happiness.

A guttural roar tore through the air, Setsuna's head thrown back. Her eyes were closed tightly and brows deeply furrowed as she released scream after scream, veins popping along her neck. Black hair whipped across her face as she threw her body forward, curled fists coming down on the floor in a sickening crunch. The second impact was more wet in sound, blood beginning to pool beneath her knuckles, flashes of white present as she threw her hands down again, and again. Her cracking voice chasing after her fists, "I'm not a monster!" Eventually hands still on the ground, but small tremors move through her arms, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her breath stutters. Setsuna presses her forehead to the ground, back arched and tense, her jaw locked into a grimace. Sweat rolls from her brow, moving down the bridge of her nose and cheeks, splashing onto the floor. Her long nails dig desperately into the ground, small gouges forming in ragged shapes.

Suddenly, Setsuna starts to straighten her back. Still shaking arms push her upright, head rising from the ground. With bared teeth Setsuna snarls, "You, tell me how to return. I have seen enough." Her doppleganger, floating a few metres ahead, shakes her head. "You are not done here. You are still separate from me." Setsuna sways to her feet, arms stretched out and chin lifted defiantly, spitting out her words, "All you have shown me are reasons to keep separate from you!"

In the blink of an eye, her doppleganger crossed the distance between them, talons digging into the pale flesh of her throat tightly. "You see nothing," she hisses, "all you see is what the humans have wanted you to see; to believe. She picks Setsuna up, crimson eyes darkening, "They made us fear who we are; made us forget and hide. They are the _real monsters_ , not us." Setsuna claws at her doppleganger's hand, desperate to break free, dark spots dancing around her vision. "Not… every…. human..." Setsuna wheezes out, her mind flashing to Asuna and her easy friendship; Negi's smiles and gentle reassurances; and Konoka, Konoka's unfaltering love. They never stopped believing in her; even her classmates. They accepted her readily, never batting an eye to her wings or demon nature. What was she even afraid of?

The pressure around her throat disappeared and Setsuna crashed to the floor, coughing. She stumbled back onto her feet, eyes watering and hand gingerly touching her throat. "Is that what you wanted to teach me?" Setsuna rasps, "that I should not be afraid of you because I already have people who care about me?" She throws her hands into the air, "You couldn't think of a gentler way of getting that point across?!" Her doppleganger shakes her head, "It wasn't about making you realise that people care about you. It was about making you realise that you deserve that love." A gentle light slowly envelops her other self, "We were never afraid of our demon nature. We were scared how others would treat us when they found out about it, that we would never be enough for them. But we have found good people who we can let in." The glow has risen in intensity, growing brighter and brighter until Setsuna was forced to shield her eyes.

"Take the leap."

**Awakening**

The first thing Setsuna noticed when she awoke was that her throat felt on fire. The next was that she was no longer in the garden, at some point Evangeline must have had Chachamaru move her to one of the guest quarters because she awoke on a bed, surrounded by machines that were beeping rapidly. "Master will be pleased to see that you have woken up, Setsuna-san." Chachamaru was standing in the doorway, an uniform in her arms. "I took the time to gather an uniform for you, I'm sure you would like to make your way back to campus in clean clothes." Picking the front of her shirt gingerly, Setsuna grimaced at the dried blood stains on her training shirt, "Thank you, Chachamaru-san. I appreciate the gesture." Chachamaru placed the uniform on the nearby desk and bowed before exiting the room. The next few minutes were filled in silence as Setsuna methodically removed the wires attached to her and changed into the fresh uniform Chachamaru was kind enough to procure. She even managed to get Setsuna's exact measurements right, _I do not want to know how she knows my exact measurements…_

While changing Setsuna flexed her hands, feeling only a ghost sensation of the pain while trapped in her mind. Satisfied that there has been no lasting damage, she made her way to the small basin in the room, as she bent to wash her face Setsuna startled at her reflection in the mirror. Her once raven locks were gone and in their place, blinding white hair. A shaky hand touched the white locks, fingers sliding through easily, finding not a single strand of black. Setsuna's hand then slowly trailed down and settled under her eye where the ring around her iris was now crimson in colour. "The seal, it must have been broken…" Setsuna muttered to herself, examining the new changes to her appearance. She slowly straightened her spine, standing to her full height, eyes firm. Her face was resolute, no hesitation or fear. With a slow nod, almost as if coming to a decision, she returned to washing her face before striding out the room, making her way to Evangeline.

"I see you are finally awake, I thought I would have to tell Konoka-san that I killed her guardian," Evangeline drawled, reclined back in her seat, the exact position Setsuna last saw her in before losing consciousness. "A warning would have been nice," Setsuna replied drily. A smirk formed slowly on Evangeline's lips, "Now where is the fun in that? Anyway, you're fine." Her hand gestures flippantly towards Setsuna's hair, "I no longer sense the seal so we can finally make real progress. However, that is for another time. I'm afraid my student will storm in soon followed by the princess if I keep you any longer." Setsuna paled at those words, "How long have I been out for?" Evangeline pretends to think for a second, "About three days."

Setsuna forgets all the questions she wanted answers to and spins on her heel and dashes out the door. "I'll see you next week, Sakurazaki-san!" Setsuna's mind is racing as she weaves through the afternoon crowd, not afraid to elbow her way through the campus courtyard, her worry over Konoka pushing her forward. When she arrives to the dorm the building is painted with muted orange and purple rays as the sun sets behind it, Yue nods in greeting as she dashes pass her. Setsuna can hear Asuna's voice before she even sees the door, her shouts emptying out into the corridor, the familiar sound comforting. Setsuna knocks as soon as she steps in front of the door, heart pounding. There's a crash and the muffled voices of Negi and Asuna as they fight over food behind the door, "Coming, Sorry for the wait! I had to step over Asuna and Negi - Secchan!"

Konoka launches forward into Setsuna's arms without hesitation, throwing her arms around the now taller girl's neck, pressing closely. Setsuna immediately returns the embrace, arms wrapped firmly around Konoka's waist, moulding around Konoka and face buried into her neck. "I'm sorry for the wait, Kono-chan," Setsuna murmured into her ear, voice raspy and low. "I missed you," Konoka whispered back, squeezing Setsuna impossibly closer. "I'm glad to see you alive and well, I thought we would have to go over to Evangeline-san and demand you back," Asuna piped up behind Konoka, a lazy smirk on her lips as she watches the scene in front of her, amused by the reunion. Setsuna startled, forgetting that the others were still there. "Asuna-san! Hey," Setsuna stuttered out, face feeling hot under Asuna's smirking gaze. "Are you going to let Konoka-chan go at any point? Dinner is getting cold." Konoka giggled, loosening her grip around Setsuna so she could drop back to the ground, surprised to note that Setsuna was holding her a few inches above the ground in the first place, "Leave her alone, Asuna-chan. Secchan deserves a break from your teasing for at least one day, I'm sure she is still exhausted from whatever Evangeline threw at her." Setsuna just remained silent, willing her face to stop burning.

"You're in luck Secchan, I included your favourite in tonight's dinner," Konoka said, taking Setsuna's hand and leading her to the door, Asuna having made her way back inside to tell Negi the news and continue eating. However, as Konoka tried to step pass the doorway she was tugged back gently. "Just before we go inside, I wanted to ask if you're free later tonight, I -" Setsuna pauses, taking a deep breath, "I would like to talk to you about something." Her smile looks a bit weak, as if those words took all her strength, but she holds Konoka's eyes, never looking away. Konoka squeezes Setsuna's hand, beaming at the girl, "Of course. Straight after dinner we can go for a walk." Konoka's words seem to empower Setsuna because her smile becomes brighter as she steps closer, voice lowering, "How about I take you flying?" Konoka's eyes soften, "It sounds perfect."

"I'm going to eat your portions if you don't get inside now!"

The girls laugh and walk into the dorm room, their hands never separating. "So, I gotta know, what's up with the sudden white hair? Did you lose a bet to Evangeline?" Asuna inquired, pointing at Setsuna's new hair colour with her chopsticks, words slightly muffled by the food still in her mouth. Negi grimaces, wiping his side of the table clean with a napkin after Asuna's food assaulted it, "I won't lie and say I'm not curious about that as well. Master tends to do things for her own amusement." Setsuna chews slowly, giving herself time to think before speaking, "It was not Evangeline. She actually helped me, in her own _unique_ way," she scrunches her nose at the word unique, "this is actually my natural hair colour. I had a seal on my body that hid it," When Setsuna mentioned the seal, Konoka's eyes seem to glaze over slightly, whispering to herself, "Seal…"

Setsuna turns to the girl, eyebrows furrowed, "Are you okay?" Konoka shakes her head as if clearing her mind before smiling at her, "Yes, sorry, I thought I was getting a headache for a second but it disappeared before it even started." Setsuna slides her hand under the table to cover Konoka's, entwining their fingers. "Well let me know if it comes back, we can postpone our talk for another time," Setsuna whispers, eyes shining with concern. Konoka strokes Setsuna's hand with her thumb, "I'll be fine." Negi speaks up, dragging their attention back to him, "I'm assuming by your nonchalant tone that the seal was placed by someone you trust and not by an outside party. What was the seal for exactly?" Setsuna moved her bowl forward, dinner done and was soon followed by Negi and Asuna who stacked their bowls on top of each other. Konoka was still finishing up her meal, eating much slower than everyone else and slightly awkwardly as she refuses to let Setsuna's hand go. "You assumed right. Eishun-sama and Konoemon-sama were responsible for the seal. They placed the seal when I was younger in order to help me through some… difficult times." Konoka squeezed Setsuna's hand at her pause. "I will likely ask for a meeting with Eishun-sama soon, I need to discuss some private matters with him." Negi nods, hair falling over his eyes slightly and in that moment Setsuna remembers just how much everyone in this room has been through together. Negi has been forced to become an adult far too soon and Asuna has an entire planet depending on her now and Konoka… Konoka will inherit the Kansai Magic Association eventually. Setsuna's gut clenches at thought. _She will need someone to lead with her, someone respectable and who she can have a heir with._

"Well, I'm glad you're back Setsuna-chan. It's never the same without you," Asuna says, bringing Setsuna out of her thoughts. Asuna is gathering the bowls, Konoka finally finishing her own dinner, and is moving to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Negi smiles and repeats the sentiment, following to help Asuna in the kitchen, their good-natured teasing starting up soon enough and leaving Konoka and Setsuna at the table. "Let me fetch a jacket and we can leave for our talk," Konoka says, getting up to go into her wardrobe. Setsuna uses the opportunity to go into the kitchen and tell Negi and Asuna about their plans. After a bit of blushing, Konoka and Setsuna leave the dorm room, making their way up the stairs and to the roof in comfortable silence. After carefully looking around to make sure no one was nearby, Setsuna releases her wings, stretching them to their full length. 'I think your wings have gotten longer," Konoka murmurs in awe, fingers grazing the soft, white feathers, admiring them. Setsuna shivers from the gentle caresses, feeling the tips of her ears brighten, "I suppose it makes sense with my additional height that my wings would grow to accommodate it." Her wings were truly impressive, spanning two metres wide and casting an almost ethereal glow under the peaking moonlight.

"Ready?" Setsuna moves forward to pick Konoka up but stops just in front of her, waiting for permission to gather her into her arms. Konoka smiles at her, "My chivalrous knight," she remarks teasingly, wrapping her arms around Setsuna's neck. Setsuna bends down slightly, looping her arm under Konoka's legs and behind her back, lifting her as she stands slowly, muscles never straining as she stands back to full height, grinning at Konoka. With a strong flap of her wings, they are airborne, the crisp air whipping at their skin and hair, making Konoka bury her face into Setsuna's shoulder, only surfacing to look at the shrinking campus and stars. Eventually they reach the World Tree and Setsuna settles on one of the large branches, the branch stretching out from the denser parts of the tree and giving the two a good view of the moon, Mahora plaza and the campus. "It's beautiful," Konoka breathes out, taking in the many buildings, twinkling stars and the bright moon. A strong wind passes through, rustling the leaves and Konoka shivers, burrowing further into her jacket. Setsuna moves closer to Konoka, gently placing her arm around Konoka's waist and pulling her into her side, making sure to use her wings to shield them from the wind. Konoka turns into Setsuna's embrace, resting her head in the space beneath Setsuna's chin and hand resting on the girl's chest, hands loosely gripping her shirt. They enjoy the warmth of one another for a few moments before Setsuna speaks.

"I learnt about my parents while at Evangeline," her voice was low, but carried to Konoka easily, the girl pressed close and listening. " My mother was beautiful. She had amber eyes and a sweet voice that made me feel safe. My father, he -" Setsuna tilted her head back, eyes glistening and throat bobbing, "he was a brave man. He was as big as Rakan-san yet so gentle with me." Konoka's hand rests on Setsuna's cheek, thumb carefully wiping away the tear trailing down, "They sound like amazing people." Setsuna takes a deep breath before continuing, "They were. I want to speak to your father, I want to see if he can tell me more about my tribe, where I came from. Now that the seal has broken, I have more questions than ever before," she tilts her head back down to look into Konoka's eyes and because of that, notices that she winces in pain, teeth clenched tight. "Is your headache returning?" She asks, hands coming up to cradle Konoka's face. "I- I keep seeing a flash of something and then it's followed by pain but they both disappear too quickly to understand," Konoka states, frowning. "Has this happened before?" Konoka slowly shakes her head, deep in thought, "No, this is the first time."

"Maybe we should continue this another time, it's getting late and I am worried that you might be getting sick," Setsuna says, hands warm on Konoka's face. "You worry too much, Secchan," Konoka pouts comically, her cheeks squishing in due to Setsuna's hands. "It's my job to worry about you," she teases back, laughter in her voice. "What if I want it to be more than a job to you." Everything stills. Setsuna looks at Konoka with wide eyes, mouth open slightly in shock, hands dropping from her face. Konoka wets her lips, her upper lip trembling slightly as she continues, "All I have ever wanted was you. By my side." The air around them feels charged, the hairs on Setsuna's arms standing up. "I want to become a magister magi and help people. I want to be the one who helps Negi's village, finding the cure for their petrification and throughout all that, I want you next to me." Konoka is holding Setsuna's hands now, her palms clammy as she continues her speech, "We made a pactio on Mars and you promised to support my dream and be my partner. I want that in every sense of the word. We are partners, equals. My magic is improving every day and I want to be able to protect you like you protect me, if you allow it." For the second time that night, Setsuna feels tears make their way down her cheeks but this time they are followed by a shaky smile, "I am still struggling to believe that I am worth anyone's time," Setsuna squeezes Konoka's hands, stopping the protest she was about to voice, "but after the last three days I think I am ready to learn, while I stand beside you." Konoka falls into Setsuna's arms and Setsuna can feel the tears wetting her shirt, but she pays no mind as her own fall onto Konoka's hair, their arms wrapped firmly around the other.

A warm sensation builds in their chests, pulsing steadily until in a bright flash it explodes out and materialises into two cards. Gasping, the girls reach out hesitantly at the glowing cards and as their fingers brush against them the light dims and they are greeted with their pactio cards, but changed. They noted the differences in quiet awe. Setsuna's card has changed the most. Her maid outfit has been replaced with traditional samurai garb. The hakama pants blood red, gi top black and the haori, Setsuna realises with a wide smile, is the same as her father's. The haori is black with red embroidery along the sleeves. Her wings are stretched out behind her and her hair is striking white, framing her smirking face, Yūnagi posed across her body and her other blades in a circle behind her. Konoka and Setsuna blush faintly as they realise that Konoka's card has changed to match Setsuna's vaguely. Konoka's blue pants became black, her once free hair was tied back with a red ribbon and the red accents around her sleeves were changed to elaborate embroidery that matches Setsuna's own on her haori. "I suppose the cards recognise our decision," Konoka giggled and Setsuna joins in, both of them laughing at the manifestation of their promise.

The girls are broken out of their laughing fit by the chiming of the nearby clock tower. Setsuna looks out to the night sky and notes how high the moon is hanging and then to the clock itself. "We should return to the dorm." Konoka nods, moving to embrace Setsuna like before. Soon enough the two were in the air again, flying back to the dormitory. Just before Setsuna touches down on the dorm rooftop, she feels the hair on the back of her neck rise and she quickly turns her head to look out into the night. However, as her crimson eyes scan the night, she cannot see anything out of the ordinary. The alarm bells in her mind are ringing, and as she moves to grab one of her paper dolls to investigate, the threat seems to vanish. Her mind quieting down. "Is everything okay, Secchan? You went still all of a sudden," Konoka asked as they finally landed on the roof. "I thought I felt something watching us but it might have been nothing," she smiles at Konoka but she can see that she doesn't really believe her but decides to let her have it. They make their way down the stairs and all too soon they were in front of Konoka's door. "Thank you for coming with me tonight," Setsuna says, rubbing her neck and wearing a crooked smile.

Konoka leans forward, balancing on the balls of her feet, and leaves a soft kiss on Setsuna's cheek. "I had a wonderful time," she says, smiling softly up at Setsuna whose mouth was hanging open, cheeks becoming flush, "let me know if you want me to be there when you go see my father." Setsuna seems to snap back to attention at her words, "I would like that. Partners supporting one another, right?" They smile at each other, not wanting to leave the others company, but eventually Konoka turns to enter her room, leaving Setsuna with her wildly beating heart. When Setsuna returns to her room, she throws herself onto her bed, a soft sigh leaving her as she sinks into the mattress. Her eyes close without her meaning to and soon she finds a smile on her lips as she drifts off to the memories of Konoka pressed against her, warm and soft. "Take the leap," she whispers before succumbing to sleep.

Meanwhile, outside the dorm, hidden in the shadows of the foliage, a figure stands. They move to leave, and the moonlight catches sight of steel. It gleams dangerously, the curve of a blade visible before disappearing alongside the figure, fading into the night as if they were never there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think and what was your favourite part of the chapter. I am still in the outlining stage of the next chapter so expect a late update next week.


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